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Montreal's Metro system is fast and cheap and the connectivity is almost complete in the total city. The stations are clean and easy to use as these are marked by blue-and-white signs that show a circle enclosing a down-pointing arrow. The trains are of modern technology and there is a huge and expanding network of underground tunnels. There are more than 65 stations at present from which there are regular trains at short intervals. There are many more scheduled to open to increase the connectivity of the Metro to more places. Slip your ticket into the slot to enter the system.
The tourists can avail the option of taking a transfer from the machine just inside the transit of every station. It allows transfers from a train to a bus at any other Métro station for no additional fare. You have to take the transfer ticket at the station where you first enter the system. When starting a trip by bus and intending to continue on the Métro, ask the bus driver for a transfer. Connections from one Métro line to another. These types of transfers can be made at the Berri-de Montigny, Jean-Talon, Lionel-Groulx, and Snowdon stations. Although getting around by Métro is quiet cheap and easy but it has one drawback. There is large distance between some stations and it is sometimes difficult for people to go from one station to another to change the train or the path. Sometimes, you have cross more than 3 city blocks to reach another station which can be done with the help of escalators and walking as there is no other mode of available between these stations.
The next best option is to travel by bus. You should have some in hand information about the buses and the routes before you plan to travel by bus. Buses cost the same as Metro trains, and you can use bus tickets on the Metro also. You need to carry change with you if you are planning to use a bus as exact change is required to pay bus fares in cash. The buses are available throughout the city and by traveling in them you can view the city as well but buses don't run as frequently or as fast as the Metro. In the metro, as most of the time you are traveling underground so you don't get to see the city and its crowd while traveling in the bus you can enjoy people, surroundings and crowd of the city. If you start a trip on the bus and want to transfer to the Metro, you can always ask the bus driver for a transfer ticket.
Along with metro and buses, other mode for getting around in the city is taxi. There are huge numbers of taxis available on the roads which are run by different private companies. There is no particular color assigned for taxis so these cabs come in a variety of colors and styles. You can distinguish a taxi from a private car by the illuminated plastic sign on the roof. At night, the sign is illuminated when the cab is available. The fare for the taxi is not very expensive.
You can request members of hotel and restaurant staffs to call cabs, by using a cab service agency which operates and monitor all the cabs by radio. Most of the time, you will find them lined up outside large hotels or can be hailed on the street. Most of the Montreal taxi drivers know their city well because they are required to study the map and streets of the city before they are given a license to drive a taxi. Although you can face problems due to poor language skills, so it is a good idea to have your destination written down with cross street - to show your driver.
The tourist arriving by plane or train and which are visiting the city for the first time will want to use public transportation and cabs rather than renting a car. If you are a little bit familiar with the city then you can choose to navigate by car. A rental car is really useful for trips outside of town. If you want the visit the places around Montreal or if you plan to drive to Quebec City then you should use the option of renting a car. The terms to rent car and prices for rentals are almost similar to those in the United States. Most of the car rental companies are operated by U.S. companies. The basic rates are same for all the companies but the overall cost will vary according to the facilities provided. An extra charge has to be paid when you return a car in a city other than the one in which it was rented.
If you are planning to use car for navigation in and around Montreal city then you should also be aware of the prices of the gasoline and diesel fuel. These are sold by the liter and the prices are a little higher than those in the United States. It costs about C$35 (US$28) to fill the tank of a small car with the lowest grade of unleaded gasoline. Another issue which should be addressed in car navigation is car parking. It can be difficult to park for free on the heavily trafficked streets of downtown Montreal, but there are plenty of metered spaces, with varying hourly rates. The city has recently installed new black metal columns about six feet tall with a white "P" in a blue circle to mention the parking spaces visible from a distance. You need to press the English button, enter the letter from the space where you are parked, then pay with cash or a credit card, following instructions on the screen.
There are few parts of Montreal which can be best travelled around by using a bicycle. Montreal has a huge network of cycle routes which are along the Lachine Canal.
Outside the city, the P'tit Train du Nord is a 200km linear park through the Laurentians on an abandoned rail bed which is basically a part of La Route Verte. It is a province-wide network of over 3,600km of cycle paths. If you want to explore this part then the only medium available is bicycle. You can hire a cycle which is available near the major cycle routes. The Maison des cyclists rent out bikes as well as sell maps of bike paths. The world's largest bicycle race, the 45km Tour de l'Ile , attracts tens of thousands of participants in early June. The bicycle is only suitable for some predefined patches as roadside bike lanes can be dangerous where motorists do not have a clear line of vision. It is also not possible to share the bike paths with pedestrians and rollerbladers.
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